


Difficult Decisions

by Fordanoia



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Drama, F/M, Nightingale - Freeform, Romance, ice ice baby
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-10
Updated: 2016-05-19
Packaged: 2018-04-30 22:03:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5181311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fordanoia/pseuds/Fordanoia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Baby Tooth loves Jack, but begins to care for Pitch Black. Just how much does Jack love Baby Tooth and will Baby Tooth be truly loved? - Focused around Baby Tooth and will be shipping Baby ToothxJack and Baby ToothxPitch. So Ice Ice Baby and Nightingale. (Originally written in 2013 - Recently Recontinued.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Optional Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing a fan fic in a while. Dedicated to tumblr user baby-tooth-on-redbull.  
> -
> 
> Once again, this was written in 2013. I have started continuing this. Chapter 1 was written in 2013 while Chapter 2 and on is my current writing. Just be warned that the writing will be different, although characterization is probably going to be about the same. I've labeled CH 1 as a prologue since I actually think it's better to start with what I've started writing recently.

Night in, night out. Coin out, tooth in.

There were always children losing teeth and all the tooth faeries were working quickly to get all the teeth before morning. Baby tooth didn't necessarily mind it, she loved seeing the children sleeping peacefully and the teeth. Oh, so many marvelous teeth. Sure there were some kids who didn't floss or brush every day, but even their teeth had a sort of beauty about them. Except for completely rotten teeth, Baby Tooth shuddered at the thought of the ones she had to pick up. It was sad to see teeth that had been so neglected, but there was nothing she could do to make kids brush their teeth. If kids didn't fear they would get cavities or could barely afford food then there was nothing even Toothiana could do personally to make sure all of them would brush and floss.

The tooth faeries all got back into the swing of collecting teeth and delivering coins almost as soon as they were released thanks to the Guardians, a group with Jack Frost as the newly added member.

Baby Tooth looked at the snow dreamily, Jack Frost had teeth that sparkled like freshly fallen snow and was by far the most handsome spirit Baby Tooth had ever seen.

She perked her head up, another tooth needed to be collected.

In Burgess.

Baby Tooth made a small squeal and after grabbing a coin darted in the direction of a certain winter spirit's home town. This was her last tooth that needed to be collected before her break and if she could visit with Jack while she was there. He spent a good amount of his time in his home city, and judging by the time he would probably be making a night snow for the children to wake up to in the morning. Baby Tooth would always come to Burgess after her break for a chance to see Jack. Jack couldn't understand her words, but regardless he still understood her and loved talking to her.

Upon seeing the houses Baby Tooth flew through a window and deftly switched the tooth before popping up on the other side of the pillow. Ohh, she flossed. The tooth faerie thought upon seeing the white molar. With a glance at the sleeping figure she flew through the window and began searching for Jack.

He wasn't hard to find, in a matter of moments Baby found him by Jamie's house putting a decoration with frost in his window so that Jamie would snow that Jack had been there last night. Baby Tooth paused admiring Jack's concentrated face, He really is adorable; he doesn't even realize that he only makes cute faces even when he's try to be serious. Baby Tooth sighed happily and Jack turned upon hearing her.

"Baby Tooth?" Jack smiled and turned his head towards her.

Oh, that smile.

"Hey, Baby Tooth. Check this out, do you think Jamie will like it?" Jack indicated his drawing with a grin splayed across his face, stepping aside to proudly frame his masterpiece with his hands. The frost formed a scene of children that appeared to be in the process of making a snowman with Jack floating above, snow drifting from his staff. Baby Tooth zoomed in front of the window, darting up and down before getting back from the window and giving Jack a smile and an approving chirp.

Jack gave a small laugh, "Anything new happening at the tooth palace, Baby?" he bent down so that his eyes were level with Baby Tooth's face.

Baby Tooth shook her head no and her face fell. It's always the same at the tooth palace, Jack.

"Yeah, Toothiana doesn't really change anything around does she." Jack stood back up fully "Nothing exciting, huh?" Baby Tooth flew up to keep her eyes level with his when he straightened.

Baby gave an exasperated sigh and put one hand off the tooth and to the side as she shrugged, What are you going to do?

"Oh, I have an idea to change that up sometime." His face took on a mischievous shade "Nothing too bad, buuut-" He left the sentence hanging for a moment and popped up an eyebrow "just one prank to liven it up."

Baby Tooth grinned, You couldn't get away without consequences, even with your pretty face, she added hand gestures to indicate her meaning.

Jack kept the grin on his face "Oh, come on. I've never heard of Tooth pranking anybody before, so what's the worst she could come up with?" spinning around on his left foot.

If you only knew. Baby Tooth gave a humored squeak.

When he came to face Baby Tooth's direction he pointed a finger at her and let his face go even in mock seriousness "And don't underestimate my face. I could smile my way out of any punishment from her."

Baby tooth covered her mouth to keep from giggling out loud. That is actually something that could happen, all of us melted when we first saw your teeth.

The frost spirit leaned closer to the faerie in the air "Oh, you laugh, but I believe I'd have a real chance for escape from punishment that way."

Baby Tooth nodded in agreement and laughed, shutting her eyes. The advantages of having beautiful teeth.

Jack's face took on a goofy grin when Baby started to laugh out loud and he began laughing with her and tilted his head downwards, their laughter echoing in the open yard for a few seconds.

When he looked back up Jack noticed the tooth in Baby's hands, "Why do you have that tooth with you?" he asked with a puzzled grin.

The Tooth! I need to take this back, I only meant to watch him work in his element. Baby Tooth jolted and pointed to the tooth and then in the direction of the tooth palace explaining in multiple squeaks.

Jack put up a hand to stop her and nodded "I get ya, Baby. I'll see you later, okay?"

Baby Tooth smiled slightly and flew to his jacket and gave him as much of a hug as she could, his hand came down on her in an effort to hug her back.

Baby Tooth internally sighed, If I was big like Mom hugs with Jack would be so much better. Baby Tooth chirped once and left to take the tooth to its respective case in the palace.

Jack watched Baby Tooth zoom off. He always thought it was cool how the faeries could zoom off so quickly, he twirled his staff in his hand and took a few steps away.

Then he looked back to where Baby Tooth had left, "If only I could change shape to be smaller, we could have actual hugs." An image of him putting his hands around Baby Tooth's neck and hugging her swept through Jack's mind. He shook his head slightly to dispel the thought because he knew he couldn't and thinking about it wouldn't make it happen. He looked up towards the sky and raising his staff called for the wind to take him up, a "Wooh" escaping his lips as the wind toss him up above the town in a matter of seconds.


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Baby Tooth has an encounter and revisits an old memory.

It was late by now, it had been late when she'd gotten the tooth as well. However, when Baby Tooth had something to look forward to it hadn't been as noticeable. Not that there was NOTHING for her back at the Tooth Palace, but rather that seeing Jack was always a highlight for any night she had the chance to do so. Regardless if it had even been so brief as just now.

She flew in what would be a direct B-line back to the Tooth Palace which was through the woods. She didn't actually like being away from houses like this around this time. No matter the time, someone was definitely awake then. That didn't mean some times of the night seemed more desolate than others, especially around a small town like Burgess.

There was a comforting amount of being alone... then there were times where it was too much for your own taste. Flying through the woods had pushed it into one of those time for Baby Tooth. It shouldn't have really mattered what time it was in the woods, but the knowledge still made it just a tiny bit worse.

The spattering of snow and frost was the only nice thing in the forest here. It was the only thing to really lighten up the dark surroundings, not even the moon was shining down any light. There were too many clouds in the sky to block it out, or maybe it was a New Moon. The sky was all the same dark grayish color.

All the trees were bare and the wind warped around the trees sounded more alive than it should have. Although her imagination could have played a part in it. Baby Tooth crossed her arms together, staying alert just in case an owl or something else decided to swoop down at her.

There was suddenly a dark shape moving on her right, and she dodged away on instinct turning to check the possible threat. Nothing greeted her but the same sight of the trees. She continued flying, waiting for it again. Sure enough, this time she turned her head to see it. Although yet again, she didn't see any creature. It just looked like an ordinary shadow, but when she turned around to see where it was coming from there was nothing there.

Baby Tooth decided to fly in the direction she'd seen the shadow go. It was backtracking a bit, but she wouldn't be content until she was sure it wasn't following her. Scare it off even since it had definitely been larger than her.

Show it what for.

For the next couple minutes she only saw the occasional shadow, but wouldn't see any source for it to come from. She started to squeak out in frustration after the fifth time she turned around and saw yet again nothing. The shape started appearing a bit more often though, the longer she went. In fact, it was more than one. What they were exactly, she wasn't sure, but this definitely wasn't just some bird.

_Maybe a spirit._

She stalled in the air for a second, giving a squeak as she recovered on instinct.

Meeting another spirit was a bit rare for herself personally. Not impossible, but that's not what sc- that's not what had made her falter. What made her falter was the first thing that came to her mind was Pitch Black.

She audibly scoffed at herself. It had been several months since Jack had become a guardian and everything else that happened with it, including Pitch getting sealed away by his own Nightmares. Baby Tooth didn't like to think about his fate since then, but everyone was assured that he was gone for decades if not possibly forever. Well, some of the Guardians said forever, but her Mom seemed certain that Pitch would be back though it'd be a while before then.

It's probably just some OTHER spirit that can mess with shadows... and around the same spot where Pitch was sucked down into.

By this point she could actually see the spot where a wooden bed frame had sat above a cold, cavernous hole. Not only that, she saw a few different things.

For instance, the shadows she'd been seeing. They all converged onto the same spot, source-less shadows that slid and sped along the ground and into something.

Baby Tooth flew closer keeping away from the ground or any other surface, really. She focused on the spot, trying to see what was there if anything.

There was a circular hole there, but... it was probably only a long in diameter Still the hole seemed a bit unnaturally dark even for what little light there was. It didn't fade to darkness, it was like the darkness was pooled up inside it. As if she could fly down and touch it rather than go down freely.

_It has to be Pitch._

She swallowed a lump in her throat, staring down into the hole. It didn't make sense though. He shouldn't have been back for DECADES, and not even one had passed yet. Why was there such a small hole? Why not make it as big as it had been before? What exactly were those shadowy shapes? Why were they passing into the hole anyways.

Then that's what Baby Tooth realized two things.

The first was that as she tried to stare into the darkness, she had dropped closer down to it than originally intended, though was still hovering a couple feet above it.

The second was that since she had begun staring at it, no more shadows had passed into the hole. Not only that, there hadn't been any shapes flicking around her peripheral.

Baby Tooth jerked back and up in the air so that she wasn't hanging precariously right above it, half expecting black and glistening sand to spring up and encase her. In her mind she could see the golden eyes and dark mouth that was almost around her.

Nothing happened though.

Although the hole still looked darker than it should be, no darkness jutting out and no sudden eyes looking back at her.

She waited, still keeping an eye on the hole. No more shadows flew down into it and nothing came from within it. If she had not seen anything earlier she wouldn't think anything was wrong.

Narrowing her eyes, she decided to throw a pebble into hole. It sunk into it and made a few bounces, hitting the dirt, causing a bit of it to flake off from the clods of the inside of the hole.

Baby Tooth would just sneak down and see if she saw anything else. It's not like Pitch would be expecting anybody this time, and she was small after all. It could be something besides Pitch too.

She let herself down into the hole, following down and along with some difficulty. She couldn't really see much and it was harder to fly with gravity down when it was a smaller hole than before. It became completely black soon enough and she couldn't see anything. After bumping into a wall after who knows how many times, she let herself start walking instead.

After a few minutes of being in the darkness she heard a loud wooshing sound and stopped turning around, though she couldn't see anything. She could sense something moving, quite a few things moving actually.

She squeaked angrily around, challenging it.

Everything stopped, and she felt a chill go up her spine as a familiar voice echoed around her and she felt like she'd just been soaked with ice water.

"Oh," it started rather mockingly, "did I make you upset?"

Once again, Baby Tooth made a few angry squeaks despite the sudden chill.

He chuckled, and it was hard to tell where the sound was coming from. "Oh, come on! It's not like I was doing it on purpose."

Baby Tooth glared around her, not sure where he was at. She suddenly realized that the cave may have since expanded out since he was here now. She flew up and rather quickly hit something, falling back onto the ground.

Pitch tutted her. "Not so fast, you only _just_ got here after all," he drawled.

The dirt shifted around her a bit and something began to wrap around her, something that distinctly felt like a hand as large as her.

She quickly squeezed out of the grip before it could tighten and flew backwards, not hitting into anything this time.

There was the sound of something slapping, and Pitch snarled, "Get back here!"

_Not on your life._

Baby Tooth picked herself back up and flew up and back as sounds and vibrations erupted around her. She didn't know what was what exactly, but she knew she didn't want to be staying still. She turn around and flew back in a panic, a cruel laugh following after her.

Barely missed snatches put her off balance and she jerked in the air from the impact, bouncing off of the ground, but still she kept her wings going. She would either hit into walls herself or get nearly slammed by some hand or some coarse sand. With how disoriented she was flying, flipping around and over, she almost could have sworn that she had been teleported in the shadows.

Eventually the light from outside illuminated her surroundings just enough and she was able to zip out of the tunnel and away. She didn't look back to see if anything was chasing her, she didn't slow her pace until she was out of the forest. She plopped onto the soft ground, breathing heavily. Now she could feel her one shoulder hurting from bumping around into the wall, but at the time she hadn't noticed the pain.

Pitch Black was back.

She was stopping for just a minute here. Just a minute to catch her breath. She could try to find Jack or go all the way back to the Tooth Palace and tell them.

Jack did understand her for the most part, but it was hard to convey 'Pitch Black' without actual the actual name... or words. She could try pantomiming the slicked back hair and make like she was riding a Nightmare, but it'd probably take less time to just bring him back here. He was much closer though, and she bet she could find him if she tried.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DECISION TIME: Should Baby Tooth go get the Tooth Fairy or Jack Frost? Or even a third option?
> 
> Like I said, this story can/is interactive, so you can write a review saying what you'd like to see BT do and the one with the most votes is what I'll write. Obviously, input or not, I'll continue the story on the once a week update.
> 
> Feel free to leave reviews or ask questions/theories related to the story! I've already put some hints in this chapter, and I'll actually be pretty impressed if somebody figures out this first twist already!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> BabyTooth goes to find Jack to show him her discovery.

Getting to Jack. That would be the fastest option, not to mention how well he had fared against Pitch last time.

BabyTooth recollected herself and zoomed off in search of Jack. There was no telling where he was by now. Although he loved Burgess and more often than not came here to play with kids during the day he still got around to several towns during the night to ensure they had snow. She'd check the town nearby first though.

Since they'd met, Jack had managed to distinguish some of her squeaks as certain words or phrases after hearing them so frequently. 'Hey,' 'See you later,' 'Mom,' 'Jack,' 'No,' 'What are you doing,' 'Drop the snowball,' - the list went on.

As she flew through, she called out Jack's name. Occasionally pausing on a rooftop and listen for him. After a very certain point though, the wind started pushing her in a direction, and she let herself ride along it since trying to push away from it was a lot of effort. Besides where the wind went, Jack was likely at the head of it.

In almost no time, she was far outside of Burgess and pushed into the brunt of a new snow storm. Inside the storm was, of course, Jack Frost.

She practically shot into his chest and quickly grabbed onto the material so she wouldn't get blown away. However, the strong brunt force of the wind that had been pushing her suddenly died down.

Jack tumbled backwards a bit in the air, and looked down to see the tooth fairy firmly attached to his hoodie. "Baby Tooth?" He put his hands down and picked her up, cupping her a bit from the wind keeping him afloat in the air. Concerned now that he was actually seeing her expression.

Immediately, Baby Tooth let out a string of rushed squeaks explaining the situation, going on for a solid twenty seconds. Some minor hand gestures and expressions included as she told the story.

Unfortunately, the only part Jack actually understood was his name at the beginning. "Baby Tooth, Baby Tooth, calm down!" He let one hand fall away to move around, the other still holding up the small tooth fairy. "You're saying you saw something?" He asked, trying to understand the story.

Baby Tooth stood up straight, and coughed into her small fist. She pushed the feathers on the top of her head, as if she were slicking back her hair. Then a hand went along her beak, cutting down at a certain point, illustrating a flat nose. Finally, she posed, her head held up high, and a snarling expression on her face. Impressively menacing though she lacked the black cloak to trail over her body. She held the pose expectantly waiting.

Jack's brow only furrowed further.

After another moment she let the guise drop and ran her hands over her face with a sort of groan. 'PITCH BLACK' she squeaked out in her language, looking back up at the frost spirit.

He pushed back his hair with the free hand, "Uhh, maybe you could show me?"

Baby Tooth wordlessly flew up and pulled on his hoodie hastily in the direction back.

"Okay, okay, okay!" He was tugged mercilessly for a second before she let him go and flew into his hood with a squeak. He set off in the direction, the tooth fairy directing with squeaks when to slightly turn or alter his path.

As they entered the forest, Jack grew wary, holding his staff protectively in front of him and eyes shifting around. He may not have understood what she'd been saying, but he could tell it was bad news.

Eventually, they could see the hole and Baby Tooth gave a finalizing squeak as she flew up from the hood and beside Jack.

Jack froze at the familiar site, and tipped to the ground. The air got a hint colder. "Baby Tooth, are you saying..?" He pointed towards the still far-away hole, not daring to finish the sentence in case just a mention here would summon him now.

Baby Tooth nodded vigorously.

"Are you sure?"

She kept strong eye contact and gave a single hard nod, arms crossed firmly across her body.

"They said he'd be too weak to come back even if he was..." Jack chewed on his lip, gaze sticking on the distant spot, as if trying to peel it away to see something hidden. He couldn't even see the hole from this angle.

'It was him,' she told him in a hushed voice.

Jack didn't respond, for a few moments all he did was watch. Eventually, he readjusted his grip on the staff and took a deep breath before walking forward with light yet steady steps. Dead leaves squishing under his foot, but thankfully they weren't dry enough to really crunch.

Baby Tooth cautiously flew ahead in a wide arc around to be on the other side of the hole, a good distance away from it, but still.

As Jack neared the hole he started to point his staff to the ground, prepared to fire at the hole once upon it if need be. Although, as he got closer, he seemed less on-edge than before. Ready expression replaced by confusion, though he still kept the staff pointed to the hole just in case.

"Uhhh, is this it?" He asked, looking up to the fairy ahead of him.

'Yes,' she squeaked out with a nod.

He looked back down at the hole.

The hole which was three times as big around as the fairy... was approximately a foot and a half using the imperial system.

He looked back down into it. There was some dirt but it seemed to change direction and he couldn't see that far into it even if it had been daytime.

"Pitch?" He called down into the hole uncertainly.

Baby Tooth watched the hole anxiously, waiting for some shadow to shoot up out of the ground...

Nothing.

He tried again. "Pitch, if you're hiding, come out!" His staff lit up crackling with fractals of ice around the end of it. The ground around his feet frosted over.

Still Nothing...

After glaring into the hole for a short while he let the energy taper off and lifted his staff back up. "Baby Tooth, I don't think he's down there."

She looked back up at him, glancing at the hole briefly, before back to Jack again with a pleading look. He had to trust her on this.

"I know you saw something here," he swung his staff about, " a-and I believe you too! It's just..." Again, he looked down at the hole. "I don't know how he could even have come back after what happened."

She flew back over to Jack and perched on his shoulder, feeling more at ease than before. This place felt so empty outside of herself and him. She began to wonder if he had left and was away tormenting someone.

"I'll tell Sandy and let the others know. Don't worry, if he's back then we'll beat him no problem!" He confidently smiled over at Baby Tooth, showing off those oh so perfect teeth. He started to walk around the hole, getting a bit closer to it as well, as he spun his staff around his shoulder

She smiled back, giving a double thumbs up at him. 'Right!' She genuinely felt better, especially since he was taking this seriously.

As he stopped at the edge of the hole, he looked down it again, leaning a bit forward.

She looked between him and the hole curiously, waiting to see what he'd do.

Jack hummed thoughtfully then proceeded to stick his foot into it.

'JACK' she squeaked loudly, flying up from his shoulder in shock.

There was that natural smile back on his face again. "Relax, Baby Tooth. It's not like he's here," he said splaying out his arms. "If he was he would have already opened up his mouth and he'd try to show off with some big dramatic shadows." He laughed before he wiggled his fingers at the fairy and let out in a wavering voice, "Spooky spooky shadows."

'Doesn't mean it's a good idea,' she replied, hands on her hip. However, she couldn't help keep a small smile off of her face.

He shrugged his shoulders, as he started to root his foot around in the hole, attempting to see how far down it went. "Ah, what's the worst that could happen?"

As if on cue, when Jack pulled his foot back, it halted short. He looked back at it and put more effort to pull it back this time, but remained stuck.

Baby Tooth started snickering, but it soon developed into full blown laughter when Jack continued pulling and turning his foot this way and that trying to get it free. Finally, it popped free from the ground and Jack let out a triumphant laugh as he fell away from the hole.

She was still giggling about as he jumped back up, brushing himself off.

He laughed as well, and looked back at the hole, which was significantly messier than before, dirt pulled out and scattered around it. "H-heh, barely made it out alive!" Then he went deadpan and looked straight to Baby Tooth, "this time."

She muffled her snicker this time, keeping her hands over her mouth. Pointing at his dirtied foot, 'what about that?'

Jack looked down and scrunched up his face, "Eugh, not unscathed though." He turned his foot around, getting a look at it. There were a few distinct scratches along one side and another on the opposite side of his foot. He shrugged, "Ah, I'll clean it in some snow in a little bit. Come on Baby Tooth, I'll give you a lift part of the way back. I bet we'll see Sandy on the way to the Tooth Palace." He put his hands in his hoodie, letting the staff fall to hook onto one of his arms and turned a bit so the fairy was at his side.

She flew into his hood and settled into a fold, adjusting the cloth a bit before leaning forward and grabbing onto some material. 'Ready!'

"Alright, to the East then!" Jack grabbed his staff again and lifted into the air, before quickly shooting off, carried by a heavy wind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DECISION TIME: N/A
> 
> There's no obvious decision this time around, although if you want BT to do something specific, like talk to the Toothiana, recruit some fellow tooth fairies to investigate during the day, or check out the other entrances to Pitch's place then you can still say so.
> 
> Story is kinda interactive, so you all can write reviews saying what you'd like BT to decide on. If there's no input by the time I sit down to write I'll just continue it, no problem.
> 
> Feel free to leave reviews or ask questions/theories related to the story!


End file.
